The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-08
The Maine Statesman Discusses the Pro-
position Put Forth by the President.
And Improves the Opportunity TO Give the
World His Views as to the Most Desirable
Method Of Reducing. the Revenues.
He Would Repeal the Tobacco Tax and
Use the Whisky Tax in Building Forts.
theeNIessage-It Is Generally Regarded
as Strong Free-Trade Manifesto.

New YORK. Dec THE Tribune Of to-mor-
row will contain long interview with Hon.
James g. Blaine President Cleveland's mes
sage. 1t taken in shorthand under the
direction of the Tribunes Paris correspondent,
and sent by cable tonight 1t is as follows
81 have been reading an abstract of the Pres
ident's message, and hare been especially inter
ested in the comments of the London papers.
Those papers all assume to declare the message
is free-trade manifesto, and evidently an
ticipatine an enlarged market for English fabrics
Presidents recommendations. Perhaps that
fact stamped the character of the message moro
clearly than any words of mine can"
You don't mean actual free trade without
duty?" questioned the reporter.
No." replied Mr.. Blaine; nor do the London
papers mean that. They simply mean that the
President has recommended what in the United
States is known as a revenue tariff. rejecting
the protective feature object, and not
even permitting protection to result freely as an
incident to revenue duues"
Il don't know that / quite comprehend that
last point" said the reporter.
81 mean," said Mr. Blaine, chat for the first
time In the history of the United States the
President recommends retaining the internal
tax In order that the tariff may be forced down
below the fair revenue standard. He
recommends that the tax on tobacco be retained,
and thus that many millions annually shall be
levied on a domestic product which would far
better come from tariff on foreign fabrics"
Then do you mean to imply that you would
favor the repeal of the tobacco tax"
Certainly, [ mean just that" said Mr..
Blaine. Il should urge that it De done at once,
even before the Christmas holidays. It would,
in the first place, bring great relief to growers
OF tobacco all over the country, and would
materially lessen the price of the article TO con-
sumers. Tobacco, to millions of men, is
necessity. The President calls it a luxury,
but it is a luxury in no other sense than tea and
coffee are luxuries. 1t 10 we'll to remember that
the luxury of yesterday becomes a necessity of
to-day. Watch, if You please, the number of
men az work on the farm in the coal mine, along
the railroad, in the iron foundry, or in any call
ing, and you will find 95 of 100 chewing while
they work. After each meal the same proper
men not only pay the millions of the tobacco
tax, but pay on every plug and every cigar
enhanced price which the tax enables the manu-
facturer and retailer to impose The only ex-
cuse for such tax is the actual necessity under
which the government found itself during the
war and the years Immediately following. To
retain the tax now III order to destroy tho pro
lection which would incidentally flow from rails
ing the Same amount OF money on foreign i'm
ports, is certainly most extraordinary policy
for our government"
t'Well, then, Mr.. Blaine, would you advise the
repeal of the whisky taxi"
mo, l would not. Other considerations than
those of financial administration are to be taken
into account with regard to whisky. There ia
moral side to it. To cheaper the price of whisky
is to increase the consumption enormously.
There would be sense in urging the reform
wrought Dy QlYQ incense In many states II the
national government neutralizes the good eff
feet by placing whisky within reach of every
one at twenty cents a gallon. Whisky would be
every where distilled if the surveillance of the
govern ment were Withdrawn by the remission of
the tax, and illicit sales could not then be pre-
vented. even by policy rigorous and searching
as that with which Russia pursues the Nihilists-
1t would destroy high license at once in all the
States. Whisky has done a vast deal of harm
in the United States l would try to make it
do some good. | would the tax to fortify
~,@To Ne T. -
full letter addressed to the Democratic party
the subject of Notifications by the
late MIR. Samuel j. Tilden in 1885, am amazed
that no attention has been paid to the subject by
the Democratic administration. Never before
in the history of the world has any government
allowed great cities on the seaboard. like Phila-
Orleans and San Francisco, 20 remain defense
less"
But" said the reporter, ''you don't think we
are to have war in any direcrionW
Certainly Dot" said Mr. Blaine: ''neither
presume. did Mr.. Tildsn when he wrote his
markabIe letter. But we should change
mote chance into an absolute imDossibllity If
our weak and exposed points were strongly
fortified; if, to-day. we had by any chance even
such a we had with Mexico, enemy
could procure ironclads in Europe that would
menace our great cities With destruction or lay
them under contribution"
But would not our fortifying now possibly
look if we expected warp
''Why should it, any more than the fortifica-
tons made seventy eighty years ago by our
when they guarded themselves
against successful attack from the ornaments
of that day! We don't necessarily expect a
burglar because we lock our doors at night, but
if by any possibility burglar comes it contrib
utes vastly to our peace of mind and sound
sleep to feel that he can't get in"
But after the Notifications should be con-
structed would you still continue the tax on
whisky"
Yes" said Mr.. Blaine $50 long as there is
whisky to tax l would tax it, and when the a.
tional government should have no use for the
money would divide the tax among the States
of the federal Union, with the specific object of
tightening the tax on real estate. The houses and
farms of the whole country paw too large
of the total taxes. If. ultimately,
relief could be given in that direction, it would
in my judgment, be a wise ana benefcent pol
have urged that the gov.
eminent should not use the money derived
from the tax on whisky. My reply is that the
tax whisky by the federal government, with
it's suppression OF all Illicit distillation and con-
enhancement of price, has been pow
erful agent in tie temperance reform by putting
it beyond the reach of so manv. The amount of
whisky consumed in the United States per
capita to-day is not more than 40 cent. of
that consumed thirty years ago.
After few moments silence Mr.. Blaine
added that in his Judgment the whisky tax
should be so modified as TO permit all who use
pure alcohol in the arts or in mechanical pur-
the tax could be RENTED without danger of
fraud, just as now the tax on spirits exported
is RENTED.
Besides your general and sweeping opposi-
ton to the Presidents recommendation, have
you any further specific objections2"
s'Yes," answered Mr.. Blaine; II should seri-
ously object to the repeal of the duty on
WOOL The repeal would work great
njustice to many interests and would
seriously discourage what We should
encourage, namely, sheep culture
among farmers throughout the Union. To break
lown wool-growiug and be dependent for
sign countries for the blanket under which
sleep and the coat that covers our backs is not
wise policy for the national government to en-
'orce."
.sDo you think if the Presidents recommends
ton were adopted it would increase our export
trade?"
Possibly in some few articles of peculiar
construction it might, but it would increase our
import trade ten-told much in the great
staple fabrics-in wollen and cotton goods.
u STEEL in all the thousand and
one shapes in which they wrought How
ire We to export staple fabrics TO the markets OF
Europe, and bow to manufacture them
cheaper than they do in Europe, unless get